Bottle holder



May 7, 1957 c. A. BLACK BOTTLE HOLDER Filed Jan. .26, 1953 FIG FIG 2 FIG 3 III II ullm'lm FIG 6 FIG '7 IN VEN TOR.

CHARLES A. BLACK ATTORNEY United States Patent BOTTLE HOLDER Charles A. Black, Jonesboro, Ga.

Application January 26, 1953, Serial No. 333,170

4 Claims. (Cl. 248-293) This invention relates to bottle holders and more particularly to bottle holders which are easily adapted to be installed in an automobile or similar vehicles.

With the advent of food establishments which provide curb service so that the customers may be served while they are still seated in their automobiles, a need has arisen for a means of supporting a soft drink bottle or the like in an automobile so that there is little or no danger of the bottle tipping over. Trays have been developed which are temporarily hooked onto the door of an automobile to temporarily support the food and drink served by the establishment. Other trays have been developed which extend from the dashboard of an automobile for use of the occupants in supporting bottles and the like. In both of the above instances, there is likelihood that a bottle supported on these trays will tip over, spilling the liquid contained therein. Therefore, it is most desirable to have a means of supporting a bottle, or the like, firmly in an upright position at all times.

Also, on some occasions, it may be necessary to transport in a moving vehicle, such items as baby bottles and the like and to firmly support these containers while the vehicle is in motion.

Since there is very little space in an automobile or other type of vehicle, and also because the occupants of the vehicle are continually getting in and out of it, it is most desirable to have a bottle supporting mechanism which takes up little space and which does not project or protrude in such a way as to engage or tear the clothes of those occupants.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an easily installable bottle holder which will firmly support a bottle or the like in an upright position in a vehicle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bottle holder or the like which when not in use will fit flush against the side or supporting member and which is easily arranged, when desired, in a position to support a bottle or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bottle holder, which is capable of being installed in a standard automobile or the like, in such a way as will not damage or alter the inside upholstery or fixtures thereof.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bottle holder constructed according to my invention and installed in an automobile or the like, said bottle holder being in the extended position and supporting a bottle.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the bottle holder illustrated in Fig. 1, said bottle holder being in the extended position to support a bottle.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of a detail showing an alternative supporting flange.

2,791,392 Patented May 7, 1957 Fig. 4 is a view taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the bottle holder illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a bottom elevation of the bottle holder illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a view taken along line 7--7 of Fig. 5 and showing the bottle holder in the folded position.

Referring now in detal to the embodiment chose for purpose of illustration, numeral 9 denotes a plate, formed of a flat piece of metal, and having its lower end 10 rounded as illustrated in Fig. 5. In Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7, the upper end of plate 9 is bent double to provide a flange 11, having a straight lateral edge 12. Through the central portion of flange 11, a pair of spaced apertures 13, 13 are provided which also extend through plate 9. Now it can be seen that when it is desired to install my bottle holder on the door of an automobile, as illustrated in Fig. l or on a similar structure, plate 9 is placed against the upholstery 14 below the window molding 15; next, plate 9 is pushed upwardly so that the upper flange 11 is inserted beneath molding 15. Thereafter, the molding 15 will spring back into place with the lower edge thereof providing a support for edge 12 of flange 11 and thus provide a means of retaining plate 9 snugly against upholstery 14. On the other hand, if it is desired to install my bottle holder on a leg of a desk (not shown) or other smooth vertical surface, bolts (not shown) may be passed through apertures 13, 13' and into the vertical surface.

In Figs. 3 and 4, an alternate arrangement or second specie of the supporting flange is shown which allows the bottle holder to be more readily removed from between the molding and upholstery of the automobile. In these figures, plate 9 is provided with a flat substantially rectangular upper end and spaced down from that end is a protruding flange 111 having a straight overhanging lower edge 112 which serves the same purpose as lateral edge 12. According to my invention, the outer surface of flange 111 tapers upwardly toward plate 9 while the terminal ends 113 of lower edge 112 are c-onvexedly curved; hence, this arrangement of my bottle holder may be installed in a manner as described above. It will be apparent that to disengage this arrangement of my bottle holder, plate 9 should first be positioned diagonally so that only one of terminal ends 113 is against the lower edge of molding 15. Then plate 9 should be pulled downwardly, thus wedging end 113 under molding 15 and causing flange 111 to ride under molding 15 as plate 9 is removed.

Struck from the central edge portion of plate 9 are a pair of aligned protruding ears 16, 16' forming a yoke for support of the structure hereinafter described. A bottle retaining member 17 is pivotally mounted between cars 16, 16 by trunnions 18, 18 which project diametrically from one end of this member and are respectively journaled by appropriate apertures within cars 16, 16. It is apparent therefore that bottle retaining member 17 may be pivoted in ears 16, 16 through substantially a arc.

The free end of bottle retaining member 17 is provided with a pair of spaced arms 19, 19 which are integral therewith so that the inside edge portions of these arms 19, 19 define an arc, denoted generally by numeral 20. The radius of are 20 is larger than a conventional bottle neck and yet smaller than the annular lip normally found at the open end of a bottle; therefore, when the bottle retaining member 17 is in an extended position, a bottle, such as bottle 21, illustrated in Fig. 1, may be supported between arms 19, 19' whereby these arms partially encompass the bottles neck.

In order to support the bottle retaining member 17 in a horizontal or extended position, and yet allow it to be folded back against plate 9 as illustrated in Fig. 7, I have ice provided a supporting means such as spring 22, one end of which is fixed'to'the central portion 'of'bottle'retainin'g member 17 by any convenient means such as brad 23. Spring 22 isa flatrectangular member which diverges from bottle retaining member 17 "toward plate 9, as illustrated inFig. "1. Ass'eeninost'clearly inFigs'S and'6, a small, flat,.rectangularplatform 24 is formed upon plate 9, immediately below bottle retaining member 17 so that the free end 25 of spring 22 will restagainst this platform when bottle retaining member 17 is in the horizontal position.

A rectangular opening 26, substantially longer than the length of platform 24, is provided in spring 22, adjacent end 25 thereof, so that by depressing spring 22, whereby it is'substantially con'tiguous'with bottle retaining member 17, this member may be rotated to a folded position illustrated in Fig. '7 and by broken lines in Fig. 1. In the folded position the bottle retaining member '17 fits fiat against'the lower portion of plate 9, with platform 24 extending into opening 26 in spring 22.

It may readily be seen therefore that in order'to place the bottle holder again in the horizontal or extended position, from the folded position, it is only necessary to rotate bottle retaining member 17 past the horizontal position so that spring -22. will again urge itself outwardly, thus, end 25 thereof, will again rest on platform 24.

It is obvious to'those skilled in the art that many variations may'be made in the embodiment chosen for purpose of illustration without departing from the scope of my invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

'1. A bottle holder capable of being retained by the upholstery and molding of a vehicle, comprising, a flat rigid supporting plate having a central'portion, ears projecting from the central portion of said supporting plate, a bottle retaining member pivotally mounted by one end thereof between said ears, a pair of spaced arms extending from the other end of said bottle retaining member for supporting a bottle 'therebetween, a flat rectangular spring having its outer end portion mounted flatwise against said bottle retaining member, said spring having a portion normally diverging from said bottle retaining member and extending in the direction of the pivotally mounted end of said bottle retaining member, said spring bracing said bottle retaining member against said supporting plate when said bottle retaining member is at substantially a right angle to said supporting plate and fitting flat against said bottle retaining member withits end extending beyond the pivot of said bottle retaining member to retain said bottle retaining member in a folded position when said bottle member is folded against said supporting plate.

2. A bottle holder capable of being retained between the upholstery and molding of a vehicle, comprising, a supporting plate, ears projecting centrally from said supporting plate, a bottle retaining member pivotally mounted by one end thereof between said cars, a pair of spaced arms extending from'the other end of said bottle retaining member for supporting a bottle therebetween, a flat rectangular spring having its outer end portion mounted centrally of and flatwise against said bottle retaining member, said spring having a portion normally diverging from said bottle retaining member and extending in the direction of the pivotally mountedend of said bottle retaining memher, a platform projecting forwardly from said supporting plate near the pivot in a position abutting the other end of said spring when said bottle retaining member is pivoted at substantially a right angle'to said supporting plate, said spring being provided with a rectangular opening adjacent said other end thereof through which said platform extends when said bottle retaining member is pivoted to a position parallel to said supporting plate.

3. A bottle holder capable of being retained between the upholstery and molding of a vehicle, comprising, a supporting plate, a flat rectangular flange at the other end thereof integral with said supporting plate to provide a supporting edge which when said plate is inserted between said molding and said upholstery will abut the inside edge of said molding and be retained thereby, ears projecting from said supporting plate, a bottle retaining member pivotally mountedby oneend thereof between said ears, a pair of spaced arms extending from the other end of said bottle retaining member for supporting a bottle therebetween, a spring mounted by one end thereof to said bottle retaining member, said spring having a portion normally'diverging from said bottle member and extending in the direction of the pivotally mounted end of said bottle retaining member, a platform projecting forwardly from said supporting plate near the pivot in a position abutting the other end of said spring when said bottle retaining member is pivoted at substantially a right angle to said supportingplate, said spring being provided with a rectangular opening adjacent said other end thereof through which said platform extends when said bottle retaining member is pivoted to a position parallel to said supporting plate.

4. A bottle holder capable of being retained between the upholstery and molding of a vehicle, comprising, a flat rigid supporting plate provided with a central portion and a rounded end, a fiat rectangular flange at the other end thereof integral with and folded back against said supporting plate to provide a supporting edge which when said plate is inserted between said molding and said upholstery will abut the inside edge of said molding and be retained-thereby, ears projecting from the central portion of said supporting plate, a bottle retaining member pivotally mounted by one end thereof between said ears, said bottle retaining member havinga central portion, a pair of spaced arms/extending from the other end of said bottle retaining member for supporting a bottle therebetween, a fiatrectangular spring having its outer end portion mounted fiatwise against the central portion of said bottle retainingmember, said spring having a portion normally diverging from said bottle supporting member and extending in the direction of the pivotally mounted end of said bottle retaining member, a platform projecting forwardly from said supporting plate in a position abutting the other-end of said spring when said bottle retaining member is at substantially a right angle to said supporting plate near the pivot, said spring being provided with a rectangular opening adjacent said other end thereof through which said platform extends when said bottle retaining member is pivoted to a position parallel to said supporting plate.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 162,959 Janes et al Apr. 17, 1951 199,150 Flather et al. Jan. 15, 1878 732,584 Pierce June 30, 1903 774,409 Wise Nov. 8, 1904 1,206,655 Belcher Nov. 28, 1916 1,222,486 Swanson Apr. 10, 1917 1,606,064 Evans Nov. 9, 1926 1,662,422 Hodges Mar. 13, 1928 1,891,250 Thomson Dec. 20, 1932 2,536,895 West Jan. 2, 1951 2,596,543 Fox May 13, 1952 2,672,314 Mitchell Mar. 16, 1954 2,673,056 Manetti Mar. 23, 1954 

